VARIATION IN THE COMMON GARTER SNAKE. 179 



steel bine color, Avhicli is characteristic of the species, until later in life. 

 Hence it has seemed entirely ])ossible, and even probable that the garter- 

 snakes change tlie shades and distinctness of the markings with the 

 years, if not with the seasons. No opportnnity has been given, as yet, 

 for protracted observation n])on this point, bnt it seems reasonable to 

 believe that further study will substantiate this view, ('ope was unfor- 

 tunate in having to deal largely with alcoholic specimens in making up 

 his classification. The ])ropensity which alcohol has for eradicating cer- 

 tain colors and intensifying others is so well known that nothing need 

 be said u])on that point. If, however, we could find a sharp dividing 

 line of coloration between these sub-species, their recognition would be 

 desirable, but as Cope himself says: "Transitions between these forms 

 are common. Tlie disappearance of the spots and stripes of TJidiiniopliis 

 sirialis sirtaJlSj which culminates in TJuuiuiopJiis slrtalis (jraininca, 

 does not occur abruptly, but transitional specimens are not hard to find, 

 etc." The writer of this paper lias seen a snake which he should have 

 confidently called Tliaiiuiophis ftirlaJis f/raiiiijiea shed its skin and become 

 'J'liuiiinopjijs sirtaVts sirtaU.s by the process, so does not feel tluit color vari- 

 ation alone is sufficient ground for subspecific distinctions. 



The tendency to carry classification to an extreme is one which char- 

 acterizes a great deal of the systematic work of the i)resent day, and is 

 };erplexing even to the S])ecialist as well as the amateur. There is, how- 

 ever, such a thing as confusing individual variation with essential varia- 

 tion and we should not be over hasty in subdividing species without care- 

 ful com])aris()n of all the features. The jturpose of this paper is merely to 

 set forth the facts as they came to light from some ten weeks' work and 

 suggest some of the obvious conclusions. 



